AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: Goa to host India's home match against Singapore

The All India Football Federation (AIFF), on Thursday, announced the venue for the AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier Group C match between India and Singapore.

They have confirmed that this very important qualifying match will be held at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on October 14th.

"The Senior Indian Men's National Team will play Singapore twice in the October FIFA International Window, with the first match slated to be held at the National Stadium in Singapore, on October 9. The teams will travel to Goa after the match for the second leg of the Asian Cup qualifiers." AIFF released the statement.

This is the final qualifier for the continental showdown, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027.

India is placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying Third Round alongside Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Singapore, where every team will face each other twice in a home-away format.

The Indian team has already played two games and has a poor start to their campaign, losing 0-1 to Hong Kong and then a goalless draw against Bangladesh.

These two matches in the coming FIFA window can prove to be do-or-die matches for India, as they are currently in last place with just 1 point from the two games.

India will surely aim for 6 points from the two games against Singapore and jump up in the rankings, as only the group winner will qualify for the Asian Cup 2027.

The team is currently participating in the CAFA Nations Cup, an invitational tournament in Tajikistan, facing a few higher-ranked nations to prepare for these crucial matches.